Improvement in metal barbs for fences



J. MGNEILL. 'Metal-BullsA for Felices.

No. 199,162. l Patented lan. 15, 1878.

VIZ/nasse@ lawn/01;-

MPL-Trne. PHOTD-LATHOGRAPMER. wAsMfNGmN. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN MCNEILL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN METAL BARBS FOR FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 199,162, dated Januaryl5, 1878; application filed April 14, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MCNEILL, of Chicago, county of Cook, and Stateof Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Metal Barbsfor Fences, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, withletters of reference, which form apart of this specification.

Figure l shows my barb attached to a single-wire rail, C. Fig. 2 is anend view of the barb in position on a singlewire rail, C. Fig. 3 is aface view of the barb. Fig. 4 is an edge view of the barb, showing thepoints or prongs thrown out of line. Fig. 5 shows the manner in whichthe barbs are cut from flat metal.

My invention has for its object to furnish a cheap, durable, andeffective barb, that can be applied edgewise to one or more rails of afence for its protection from stock; and it consists in the constructionof afour-pointed barb having two prongs running parallel to each other,or nearly so, and being connected at or near the centerby an integralportion, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

The barbs are cut from a flat steel or other suitable metal blank ofproper width and thickness that will bend edgewise and give sufficientbearing-surface to the rail. They are formed by cutting a series oflongitudinal slots oln the center of a flat metal blank, Fig. 5, theremaining metal on each side of the yslots being cut diagonally, so asto form one pair of points, a a, beveling inward, and another pair ofpoints, b b, on the preceding barb, beveling outward. The ends of theseslots may be formed with a semicircular or any other suitable shape toconform to the shape of the rail to which the barb is to be applied; andto facilitate the application of the barb to a fence-rail, the points aand b are thrown out of line by slightly twisting the barb at d, asshown in Fig. et, which allows the points to pass each other at suitableangles over the rail. It will be readily seen that a great saving 1nmaterial is effected by cutting the fourpointed barbs from flat metal,in the manner described.

These barbs can be cut with dies and punches rapidly and cheaply, andcan be applied, by a hand tool made for that purpose, to a single railof wire or other rail material when in position on its posts, or may beapplied to the rail material by machinery before the fence is preparedfor market.

In applying the barb to a single rail, C, with the hand tool, twoprongs, a a, only are clasped on the rail edgewise by being bent down onthe rail C, passing each other to nearly right angles, with sufficientpressure to indent the rail slightly, so that the barb will keep itsplace firmly without slipping or turn ing.

The prongs b b are slightly spread apart, so that all the points willstand' at nearly equal distances from each other, so that stock comingin contact with the fence from any direction will be more sure toencounter one of the sharp points of the barb than where a fence isprovided with barbs having but two or three points.

In applying the barbs to two rails twisted together or running parallelto each other, both pairs of prongs may be clasped onto the rails bybeing bent edgewise, crossing each other at suiiicient angleslover eachrail, instead of spreading one pair of prongs, as in the case of asingle rail. This mode of applying the barb to a rail composed of twoparts has this advantage, namely, that if one of the rails should bebroken it cannot fall down or untwist, for the barb will hold itsecurely to its place on each side of the break.

I am aware that four-pointed barbs have been used on fences and cut fromat metal; but such barbs were applied with their flat surface to therail.

I am also aware that barbs having four points have been madeof wire; butsuch barbs are bulky, and add unnecessary weight to a fence, besidesgiving more rusting surface, which is an objectionable feature in barbswhen applied to wire rails.

I am also aware that barbs having three prongs, two of whichhave at facesurfaces and offsets, havebeen patented and used on fences 5 but suchbarbs are expensive, and do not possess the repelling qualities of mybarb.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

The flat metal barb for fences herein described, as represented in Figs.3 and 4 of the drawing, having four points, a b, arranged nearlyparallel with each other, and adapted to be applied edgewise to one ormore rails of a fence, in the manner specified.

JOHN MGNEILL.

Witnesses:

J AeoB MANY, DONALD MGLEAN. p

